Door-opener.



c.k H. MENGEDOHT.

DOOR OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAY2I, |911.

Patented June 11, 1918.

L Er

CARL H. MENGEDOHT, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

Doon-OPENER.

To all lwhom t may concern.'

-Be it known that I, CARL H. MENGEDOHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the countyl of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to closure operators, and more particularly to an electro-ma etic apparatus for opening doors, especial y the ordinary hingedly mounted doors.

It is one of the objects ofthe present Ainvention to provide an apparatus for opening n Specieation of Letters Patent.

a swinging door, andi further to provide an l electro-magnetic apparatus in which there is arranged a control orcircuit closure which is adapted to be actuated by a person when it isdesired to secure the opening of the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and reliable electro-magnetic device so arranged that it may be disposed conveniently with relation'to a xed support and to the swinging door and to provide connections between the actuating device and the door.

It is a vfurther object of the present invention to provide a solenoid apparatus for opening a door and to provide means for opening the door through the actuation of 'the solenoid core when the solenoid is enerized. g' The invention consists of the combination of a suitably supported door of an electromagnetic device, its circuit, and' a suitable circuit closing apparatus, and especially consists inthe present adaptation of an oscillating .solenoid and the connections therebetween and the swinging door.

With the above objects in view and others as will be rendered manifest in the following specification there is shown in the .accompanying drawing and described in the following speciiication one embodiment of the invention, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the ap aratus siowng the parts in position with t e door c ose Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the parts-I" Patented June 11, 1918.

Application led May 2'1, 1.917. Serial No. 170,054.

arrangement of one form of circuit controll1ng deyice for the apparatus.

The invention as herein illustrated comprehends the provision of means for operating a swinging door, a portion of whlch is. shown at2 which is hingedly connected at 3 to any suitable xed structure as, for instance, a wall or the jamb 4 of the door.

The door opening device is illustrated as comprising a solenoid coil 5 having a suitable core 6 which latter in the present orgamzation is shown as pivotally connected at 7 by means of a link 8 to a lever 9 which 1s fulcrumed at 10 upon a suitable bracket orother bearing 11 which may be approprlately attached to the fixed wall or jamb 4. 'lhe lever ,r9 projects from its pivot 10 and 1s bifurcated at its end as at 9 to recelve a pin 12 or other suitable connecting element, which, as here shown, is mounted upon a bracket 13 attached to the face of the door 2. The end of the link 8 is connected f at the pivot point 8 to the lever 9 intermediately the length thereof between the pivot 10 and the bifurcated end 9.

For the purpose of controlling the arc of the swinging link 8 and securing the mechanism efficiently in the application of the force derived from the excitation of the solenoid 5, I prefer to use a guide orguard of suitable type which in the present instance is shown as a forked lever 14 which is pivoted on the fulcrum 10 of the lever 9 and in the slot of the fork the pin 7 connecting the solenoid rod to the link 8 is adapted to reciprocate during the operation of the device. It is one of the important features of the present invention to so mount the solenoid and its operating links that a minimum amount of oscillation or swinging movement of the solenoid may be provided for and secure, and in its present arrangement this solenoid is shown as mounted in a bearing 5 which is pivoted adjacent one end at 5tl upon a suitable support, as, for instance, the bracket or hanger f 11 which is provided to receive the fulcrum ing as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,**B'd thus when the coil is electrically excited and its core 6 drawn inwardly the action will be through the core 6 and its connecting link 8 to swing the lever 9 which stands approximately at an angle of 45 degrees to the `plans of the door and wall, as shown in Fig. 1, the movement of the arm 9 in opening the door to the position shown in Fig. 2 being through an arc of about degrees during which action the fulcrum or connecting pin 7 slides outwardl through the forked lever 14 to the positlon shown in Fig. 2 at which time the solenoid is swung slightly downwardly on its fulcrum 5a and the fork 14 and the door operating rod 9 are caused to swing at varying relations on the pivot 10 and the link 8 is brought into substantial alinement with the axis of the solenoid core 6. When the solenoid is denergized the door 2 may be closed by any suitable force, and it will be seen that the link 8 and the lever 9 are controlled so as to prevent the idle movement oflthelink onits pivotal connection 8 of the rod 9 through the instrumentality of the controlling forked lever 14.

Any suitable source of electrical energy may be utilized for exciting the solenoid coil, as, for instance, either a battery circuit or a lighting circuit, .the lead-in wires which are shown at 15 and 16 being connected to the terminals of the coil, the wire 16 passing preferably through a suitable flexible connection to the door 2 as shown in Fig. 2, and upon which door there is adapted to be provided any suitable form of circuit making or breaking apparatus which may be operated by a person desiring to have the door opened. r

A simple form of the circuit .closing apparatus is shown in Fig. 3, in which the lead-in wire 16, for instance, is connected to a suitable contact 17 adapted to be engaged by a movable circuit closing or contact member 18 which 'preferably is adapted to be automatically moved to circuit-breaking position in any suitable manner, as by means of a spring 19. The movable circuit closer 18 may be actuated through a simple mechanism comprising preferably manually operable latches'20, one disposed on each side of the door and conveniently disposed with relation to the grips or handles 21 provided on the door, although it is to be understood that any suitable and convenient and preferred form of device for controlling the o eration of the circuit closing contact may e utilized. When the circuit is closed by the contact 19 current flows through a lead wire 22 connected thereto and which is led from the door through any suitable form of exible connection to provide for the swinging or hinging movement of the doorto be connected to the source of supply.

For the purpose of preventing the door from opening too rapidly under the impulse 'of the force created by the excitation of the lsolenoid coil, a suitable retarding or checking means may be employed'. A simple form of controlling device for preventing the too rapid opening of the door may be incorporated in the formof a dash-pot which may be suitably arranged with relation to the operating mechanism, and as shown may be formed as a portion of the solenoid coil by attaching thereto a cylinder or receptacle 23 which is closed at one end and into which the adjacent end of the solenoid core is adapted to move When'the coil is excited, the compressed air in the cylinder 23 serving as a cushion, and thereby retarding the accelerated movement of the door. To provide for free closing movement of the door without substantial resistance from the dash-pot, the latter may be provided with an inwardly opening check valve 24 shown in the form of a flat spring to eliminate suction resistance'at the dash-pot as the solenoid coil is drawn forwardly again by the closing ofv the door. Sufficient relief of air under pres-- sure from within the dash-pot 23 may be secured by the escape of air around the surface of the core 6 within the. bore of the solenoid 5, or in any other suitable manner as may be desired. v

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple, practicable, inexpensive and efficient device for controlling the opening of a door, and one in which the parts are so organized and arranged that they may be readily renewed and replaced and to which access may be freely had for4 the purpose of adjustment or renewal when necessary, and it is understood that various modifications inthe arrangement, construction and details of the various parts may be resorted to within the scope of my invention and limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

'1. A closure operating apparatus i cluding aclosure to be operated, a support on which it is movably mounted, and electromagnetic means for opening said closure, including a rocking solenoid and its core lconnected to the said closure and the support, and a guide,- independent of the connection between the door and means, for controlling the swinging of the solenoid. f

2. A closure operating apparatus including a closure to be operated, a support on which it is lmovably mounted, and electromagnetic means for openingA said closure, including a pivoted solenoid' and its core connected to the said closure and the support, and a guide co-acting-with the core to control the solenoid movement.

3. A closure operating apparatus including a closure, a fixed support upon which it is movably mounted, and yelectro-magnetic means for actuating the closure comprising a pivoted solenoid coil attached to .one thereof and its core attached to theother, and levers swinging on a common fulcrum, one controlling the solenoid andthe other connecting the core and closure.

4. A closure operating apparatus including a closure, a- .fixed support upon which it is movably mounted, electro-magnetic means door, and an independent lever connected to the core for directing the movement of the solenoid.

6. The combination with a door and a support to which it is hinged, of a pivoted solenoid carried by one thereof and having a core movably connected to the door and a lever for controlling the angle. of oscillation of the solenoid, connected to said core.

7 The combination with a door and a support to which it is hinged, of a pivoted solenoid carried by one thereof and having a core movably connected to the other, and a circuit for the solenoid including circuit making and breaking devices, the solenoid chamber closed at one end to form an air cushion for the core.

8. A device for opening a hinged door, comprising a solenoid pivotally mounted with relation to the door and having a core operatively and pivotally connected to the door whereby When the solenoid 'is energized said door -is opened, and pneumatic means for 'controlling the core movement, the core forming a piston for said means.

9. A device for automatically opening a hinged door, comprising a pivoted solenoid on a xed support,` a motion controlling member for the solenoid, a core therein, and connecting means between said core and the door including a lever engaging a part on the door, and a link connecting the lever and solenoid core.

10. LA device for automatically opening a hinged door, comprising a pivoted solenoid on a fixed support, a core therein, and a dash pot carried by the solenoid and in which the core moves.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

CARL H. MENGEDOHT. 

